Environmentalists win first gold of Athens 2004
( 2001-08-29 11:02 ) (7 )

The Greek government has bowed to pressure from environmental activists and relocated the Athens 2004 Olympics Kayak site from the archeologically and ecologically sensitive Rizari to Hellinikon, where the city's airport stood until March this year.

Government spokesman Telemaque Hytiris said that Greek minister for the environment Costas Laliotis told a cabinet meeting of the decision here Tuesday.

However, canoe events which need less obtrusive instalations, will go ahead at the Schinias site near Rizari.

Schinias has been a bone of contention from the outset of preparations for the 2004 games as it is commonly held to be ecologically unique and is also the site of the historic battle of Marathon.

Four groups, the Archaeology Society, the Greek Society for the Protection of the Environment, the Society for the Protection of Nature and the Society for the Protection of Birds, had threatened to sue to protect the site.